The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday presided over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
The meeting holding at the Council Chamber in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, started around 10a.m.
A sizeable number of cabinet members were in attendance when the meeting started.
Osinbajo had also presided over FEC last week as President Muhammadu Buhari left Nigeria for the United Kingdom on May 7th.
The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.
Details Later…
The Minister for Transportation Rotimi Amaechi Monday allayed fears regarding the concession of the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
He also disclosed that the General Electric (GE) would be bringing 20 locomotives and 200 wagons to boost rail transit services in the country.
The Minister who spoke after an inspection tour of the construction work on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard gauge, said his ministry has not committed the nation into any concession because it has not gotten any approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
He said he would be tabling the matter before FEC by Wednesday.
Amaechi also had meeting with the railway workers where he approved that representatives of the workers be included as passive members in negotiations that may take place between the concessionaire and the transaction advisors especially on areas regarding their welfare.
He assured Nigerians that the ministry complied with all the rules regarding the terms of concessionnaire before approving GE as the narrow gauge concessionnaire.
Amaechi said concwssionnairing the corporation remains the way out of the rot in the railway, adding that for Nigerians to embrace the railway, they must see improved services.
He said: “I had a meeting with the operational office of the GE this morning and I was told that besides the 20 locomotives, they are also willing to bring in 200 wagons to ease freight operations of the railway. We are feckless discussing with them to bring in coaches for ease and comfort of Nigerians.”
The Minister during the field tour directed that owners of structures still standing along the right of way be given two weeks before such encumbrances are demolished.
He asked all those with valid documents among the people affected to come out with them as the government would compensate them for their loss.
He also directed that work be accelerated along the corridor.
At the town hall meeting with the workers Amaechi assures that he is ready to defend them and would continue to promote their welfare.
He said apart from owning and running the narrow gauge, GE also agreed to building a Univeraity of Tranaportation and a faculty of railway studies in order to create manpower for the sector and would start assembling locomotive and coaches locally while efforts would be made to begin full manufacturing locally within five years.
He therefore urged the workers to stand behind the government in its onerous task of rehabilitating, reforming and retooling the railway.
. . . Blames sycophants for Jonathan’s defeat in 2015 poll
The chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to hand over power to Vice President Yemi Osibanjo pending his full recovery from his undisclosed illness.
Makarfi, who made the call in an interview with our correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, said if President Buhari is not fit enough to remain in office, it’s better to tell the Nigerian people and allow the Vice President to continue as Acting President and return to work after full recovery.
The leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the President would be working from his official residence, after failing to attend the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for three consecutive weeks.
But Makarfi disagreed with the APC’s position, saying, “It cannot be okay and it can never be okay. My take is that if the President is not fully fit to stay in office, it is better that he tell Nigerians, so that the Vice President will continue to be Acting President, exercising the powers of acting president.
“Then you run away from this kind of situation when we allow time for the President to fully recover and assume his mantle of leadership. Me as PDP person, as a human being, I will never wish any human being ill-will even if I disagree with you politically.
“So it does not matter that it is APC that is the person that is sick. May prayer is that he is fit to serve his term. As a politician, I equally want him to finish his term. So when some people begin to insinuate things, of what interest would it be to PDP should the President be unable to finish his term.
“We don’t wish him ill will, we want him to be well, we want him to be fit enough to be on seat when in 2019 we go for election and defeat the APC .
“For a number of reasons, the PDP wishes the President well, for stability of this country, political stability and the fact that we want to defeat a sitting President. We don’t want any confusion politically in this country. It is not good for anybody and as a human being; I never wish anybody ill will irrespective of political differences”.
Makarfi also reacted to the claim by former President Goodluck Jonathan that some prominent members of the PDP from Northern Nigeria, including the erstwhile party chair, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, betrayed him by working against his re-election in the 2015 elections.
The Caretaker Committee chairman said Jonathan was betrayed by sycophants he surrounded himself with, coupled with the fact that the party leadership made many mistakes and failed to take wise counsel.
Said he, “The PDP made many mistakes and I have said it before. Of course there were betrayers left, right and centre, even those of us who stood for other elective offices we can be talking that way.
“We made mistakes; we were not listening to what people had to tell us. We were too comfortable, then of course sycophancy took over and when sycophancy takes over what would you end up with.
“There were all kinds of betrayals. We have learnt our lessons now. I don’t want to cry over spilled milk. We should learn from the mistakes that we have made for not listening to the true voices of the people.
“Going forward, we should try to avoid a situation where we would be saying someone betrayed us. No matter what, you will find Judases here and there and you cannot do away with them in life not even in politics.
“And when they are in majority, you have to look at yourself as a party and the honest truth is that we made fundamental errors. And it created a fertile ground for that betrayal. I am not defending it because it ought not to have happened. And people would have been more patient but not everybody can be patient”.
On the argument by some prominent Northern party chieftains that PDP would have won the 2015 election if the party had fielded a popular candidate from the North, instead of Jonathan, Makarfi agreed that the race would have been easier for the party.
“Yes, the result would have been different, but even then, Jonathan as the candidate if the party had listened a lot more, and rejigged its campaign, its language and the message.
“True or false, the votes difference was about two million. It would have been different even with Jonathan as a candidate. It is not just of him as a candidate, but communicating better and dealing with the right people could have made the situation different.
“But that is history. So we should learn from the mistakes we have made. So you cannot entirely say because Jonathan was a candidate, of course it would have been much easier, but even with him as candidate, the characters fronting for PDP were not characters that could have won election for the party”.
On the future of the PDP, in view of the party’s protracted leadership crisis, Makarfi said his group are waiting for the commencement of its appeal against the court backed National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff. The Supreme Court is to commence hearing in the matter on May 5.
Asked what would be the fate of the PDP should his faction lose the case to Sheriff at the apex court, Makarfi said that would spell the death knell of the crisis-ridden opposition party.
He continued, “If it happens that way, PDP would die. But those who would be working to kill PDP that way, I assure you they would end up being confronted with a bigger political force than the PDP itself.
“Because politics is about people, there is no way, let me speak here for the North that I know so well; there is no way in the North with Sheriff at the helm of affairs of PDP that voters would on their own go and vote PDP. There is no way.
“We have just seen it in a recent election in Delta State that they have turned their back against PDP because of Sheriff. And it may be so in many states of the southern part of this country.
“These people are alive, they are politicians, they are active. Water will surely find its level. And consistently, we have been saying that we are not going to be caught unawares. We are not going to be caught without options.
“We cannot boast of what the Supreme Court judgment would be but we are hopeful that they would do what is right. And in our opinion, what is right is upholding the Convention.
“But should what we think is right not be in law right before the Supreme Court, so be it. We will decide our political direction in good time. And that political direction, I assure you, would be one that would be more potent than the PDP as it is.
“Because PDP as it is, we know that we carry wounds, a lot of stigmatism, a lot of things and in an effort to kill a rat, you may let a lion loose because God Almighty that created us loves us and He looks over everybody.
“God wants something that is good for our people and there is no way you can deny whatever is good for our people no matter the intrigues you apply. You may think you are squeezing people one way, but you may be giving birth to something that you may not be able to squeeze.
“Win or loose, members of PDP have a bright future. So I am saying PDP members should not be bothered because win or loose at the Supreme Court, they have a brighter political future. A decision will be taken at the appropriate time”.
Describing what he described as Sheriff’s sinister antics, the party chief accused some prominent members of the ruling APC of foisting him on the PDP against the wish of the majority.
Said he, “There are invisible hands that are hoisting him, and hoisting him purely with the view to destroying opposition and that is what he is basking in. Nigerians should wake up.
“It is not about PDP, it is about development of democracy and the voice of democracy in Nigeria. And if it is PDP today, it will be another party tomorrow.
“That is what we are standing on and that is what we are fighting for so that tomorrow whichever party may find itself in power will not be able to stop easily or decimate opposition in order to have an easy way.
“You can take a horse to the river, you cannot force it to drink water. And people will decide for themselves at the appropriate time”.
According to him, PDP members across the federation would never remain in the party with Sheriff calling the shots, stressing that the party chairman has gone into financial deal with some APC governors with the sole aim of destabilising the PDP in their various states ahead of the 2019 elections.
“Sheriff is busy factionalising the PDP across the states but we are not going to erect parallel structures in any state in deference to the Appeal Court ruling and in order not to further compound the problem.
“He is doing this for the APC governors to win comfortably in their various states and he is being paid for the job. Sheriff has taken up a job to destroy the PDP for a fee and that is exactly what he is doing”, Senator Makarfi said.
On the fate of the PDP in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, Makarfi said voters in those states will never allow themselves to be without options.
“You see, politics is local, those states are not sleeping. They have their eyes wide open; they would never allow themselves to be without options.
“PDP men and women would never allow themselves to be without options, our prayer is that on May 4, all the motions filed before the Supreme Court would have been heard.
“And if all this are heard, our prayer is that the Supreme Court would do justice in time. And mind you, within the week, even the INEC said this crisis in PDP is affecting its ability to properly plan for elections.
“So this matter is more of elective matter than that of political party issue because every day there are elections and it is causing confusion in the land.
“Our prayer is that the Supreme Court will do justice and in our opinion, justice is respecting what the overwhelming party men and women want and do it in good time.
“Either way, whatever they decide, people would take their position as to what they are going to do and our prayer is that their decision will bring sanity in the land”, he stated.
The National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen. Babagana Munguno (rtd) has began work on a template for the discovery and recovery of illegal weapons through a reward system.
Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed this development in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.
According to the presidential spokesman, the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) is adopting the whistle-blowing approach so as to eradicate mass shooting incidents and remove the harassment of law abiding citizens by holders of illegal weapons.
He said the proposed adoption of the whistle-blowing policy on illegal weapons by the Federal Government followed the success of the policy in the recovery of huge amount of questionable and stolen funds by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Shehu, therefore,said the presidency had started drawing up the rules of a whistle-blower mechanism to throw a spotlight on the regime of gun ownership and control as a bold move to prevent and eradicate illegal ownership of small arms and light weapons in the country.
He said that this would be a sort of searchlight on weapons ownership in the country, adding that the aim was to disarm communities especially those with proclivity to violence.
“In the last few days, we had discussed the efforts the administration is making to strengthen the whistle-blower mechanism in the Ministry of Finance, which to date has proved to be very effective in bringing the attention of the government to stolen assets and unexplained wealth.
“The ONSA initiative may be an independent line of inquiry or in active collaboration with what the government is doing in Finance. This will be a sort of searchlight on weapons ownership in the country.
“Whatever form or shape it takes, the administration wants to take a tough line to curtail the large number of illegal weapons in circulation used in intra and inter-communal conflicts,’’ he said.
Shehu disclosed that the ONSA had already inaugurated a committee saddled with the responsibility of the recovery of small arms and light weapons in the country
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that whistle-blowing policy, which has been approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) is meant to expose fraud and other related crimes in both the public and the private sectors.
The policy was devised by the Ministry of Finance aimed at encouraging anyone with information about a violation, misconduct or improper activity that impacts negatively on Nigerians and government to report it.
“If there is a voluntary return of stolen or concealed public funds or assets on the account of the information provided, the whistle blower may be entitled to anywhere between 2.5 per cent (minimum) and 5.0 per cent (maximum) of the total amount recovered,’’ Minister of finance Kemi Adeosun said.
The policy has recorded appreciable success as it has led to the discovery of billions of Naira in the last few months since it started.
The weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting failed to hold on Wednesday due to inability of the Secretariat to circulate relevant meeting documents as a result of the Easter holiday.
The government had declared last Friday and Monday as public holiday to allow Christians mark the anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Presidency on Wednesday also denied speculations that the cancellation could be because of President Muhammadu Buhari’s health.
Similar speculations had trailed the absence of President Buhari last Wednesday when the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo presided over the meeting.
Speaking on the matter on Wednesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that it was canceled because the FRC secretariat staff had no opportunity to circulate relevant documents for the meeting because of the Easter holiday.
He said “I think it is because of the Easter holiday. The secretariat had no time to circulate the necessary documents,
“The staff on the Council secretariat resumed on Tuesday after the Easter. There was no time to prepare and circulate memos to ministers.
“By practice, the ministers receive council memos two or three days ahead of meetings because they must read them and sometimes undertake research.
“It is not a rubber stamp council so everyone must prepare themselves well for debates,” he added.
On why the documents were not circulated before the holiday since the secretariat knew before hand that there would be a holiday, he explained that as human beings, they also needed the break.
He denied the suggestion that the cancellation was related to the president’s state of health.
Stressing that it would be wrong to make such assumption, he said “That will not be fair.”
Explaining the President’s absence at FEC last week, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had said that Buhari did not attend FEC meeting because he was attending to other issues.
He said: “Clearly when we came in this morning, Mr President was not in the chambers but the Vice President did preside over the council meeting.
“Understandably, that has sparked a lot of controversies and imputations in the mind of people.
“I just want to make this clear, Mr President is in town. Mr. President is attending to other issues. Mr president looked at the agenda, it was a very light agenda and decided that the Vice President should preside.
“It’s not unusual for the kind of interest that is shown especially given the fact that Mr. President was away for a while on medical treatment and is not. We are not surprised that people will be wondering is he ill again?
“He is not ill, he is not sick. Am sure that later in the day or tomorrow morning he will be back in the office. I just want to clear that misconception.
“Is not unusual even if Mr. President is hail and hearty and everything is going on well for the VP to come and preside over meetings of the federal executive council.
“The fact that Mr. President is not in the office does not mean that he is not working.
“I have just been told now that the Secretary to the Government is already with with him in the residence working.
“So, the fact that you did not see him in the office does not mean that he is not working at all,” he stated
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed on Wednesday disowned media reports suggesting that President Muhammadu Buhari was ill and that was the reason for his absence at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting presided by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Information Minister said that the President was hail and healthy and carrying out other state functions during the FEC meeting.
He was with the Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehinare and Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jubril.
The Information Minister said that the absence of Buhari at FEC didn’t mean that he was not working.
He said; “I want to make some remarks on what I think is trending. Clearly when you came in this morning, Mr. President was not in the chamber and the Vice President did preside over the council meeting. Understandably, that has sparked controversies and agitations in the mind of the people. I just want to make this clear that Mr. President is in town, Mr. President is attending to other issues.
“Mr. President looked at the agenda, a very light agenda, and decided that the Vice president should preside. It is not unusual for the kind of interest that has been shown, especially given the fact that Mr. President was away for a while on medical treatment. We are not surprised that people will be wondering if the President is ill again.
“He is not ill, he is not sick. I am sure that later in the day or tomorrow morning he will be back in the office. I just want to clear that misconception. It’s not unusual, even if the President is hail and hearty and everything going on well, for the Vice President to preside over the FEC meeting.
“The fact that Mr. President is not in the office does not mean he is not working. I have just been told that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is with him at the residence and they are working. The fact that you did not see him in the office, did not mean he is not working at all,” he added
Ehinare disclosed that 420,000 persons have been vaccinated against meningitis type C in Zamfara State.
While there are 4,637 suspected cases in the country, the Minister said that 489 persons have died from the disease.
He said that 823,000 vaccines are expected this week from the United Kingdom.
The Minister of State for Environment said that FEC ratified the universal convention banning the use of mercury.
He said that Nigeria was among the 128 countries that signed the convention while 50 countries are needed to ratify it to make it effective.
So far, he said, about 40 countries have ratified the convention.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday left Abuja for Paris to attend the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum.
According to a statement issued by the Vice President’s Spokesman, Mr Laolu Akande in Abuja, Osinbajo is one of the speakers to feature at the global conference.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Vice President left for the forum after attending the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.
The forum is scheduled to hold from March 30 to March 31.
The OECD forum brings together global leaders, ministers, business leaders and civil society representatives to discuss issues of governance.
Such issues include “the cost of corruption to society, the use of political donations to buy influence, developments in corporate liability for graft and the role of export controls to counter bribery”.
During the conference, Osinbajo would hold bilateral talks with the Secretary-General of the organisation Angel Gurria.
The talk would review and explore relationship between Nigeria and the body, including how to further strengthen mutual cooperation in areas of good governance, integrity and anti-corruption efforts.
While in Paris, the Vice President would also hold a number of meetings with the French Minister Mr Bernard Cazeneuve.
Founded in 1961, OECD’s mission includes the attainment of global economic development through supporting sustainable economic growth, boosting employment and raising living standards.
The mission includes contributing to the growth of world trade and maintaining financial stability among other objectives.
Osinbajo is expected back in Abuja at the weekend.
…F.G sets up panel to smoothen Executive, Legislative relation
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed on Wednesday said that disclosing how much President Muhammadu Buhari spents on his medical vacation in the United Kingdom may jeopardize national security.
The President, who returned to Nigeria on March 10th, had spent about 50 days in the UK where he carried out some medical tests.
He had also in June last year embarked on medical trip abroad.
Even though the President’s health status and ailment is yet to be made public, the President had disclosed on his return to the country on Friday 10th March that he received blood transfusion during the vacation.
The Minister, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, was reacting to the calls for the President to disclose the amount spent on his medical treatment abroad.
He was with the Minister of Interior, Abdulraman Danbazzu and the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun
According to Mohammed, it was too sensitive to disclose the amount spent on the President’s health.
He said: “This matter has come several times and our position on the matter is quite straight forward. What are the President’s conditions of service? What are his entitlements in terms of his wellbeing and health care? The state is supposed to take responsibility for these.
“We believe that asking for how much has been spent on the health of the President is an issue that we should weigh very well both for national security and also for moral issues.
“I don’t know why we must divulge such very sensitive information. I might be wrong but I don’t have experience elsewhere that the President of any country will be ill and be forced to disclose how much the state has spent on his health.
‘Yes, there is Freedom of Information Act but it is also carved in such a way that when such information is likely to endanger national security, I think it is an area that is not covered.” he said
He also said that the executive is concerned that the relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government is not as smooth as it is supposed to be.
Although he noted that it is a continuous struggle in any democracy for balancing between the Executive and the Legislature because each of them are creatures of the law.
With the not too cordial relationship between the two arms of government due to issues concerning the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, the Minister said a committee is already working to smoothen the relationship.
He said “We must strive at all times to ensure that there is that balance, amity and smooth relationship.
“Just today at the Federal Executive Council meeting, the issue was discussed and a committee is already working on ensuring that we resolve all these outstanding issues.
Speaking on the protest by unions in his ministry, Mohammed said that it is not unusual for unions to call for the removal of ministers.
He said “They are complaining about welfare but there is a limit to what government can do within the available resources.
“As much as we sympathise with them on the situation, the economy is simply not healthy enough to accommodate what it used to accommodate in the past.
“If anybody is concerned and worried about expenditures in my ministry, they should go and check because it is open.
“We have appealed to them several times but we met a culture that we cannot sustain.” he said
The Minister promised that the Ministry will look into some of the grievances that are genuine when the economy improves.
“We listen to them, they always meet with the Permanent secretary and directors. But once the resources are not there, there is little we can do. We will just continue to plead with them to be patient with us.” he added
Dambazzau said that the Council approved the procurement of some water carrying vehicles for the Federal Fire Service.
He said “This is in an attempt to further revamp the federal fire service which has experienced dearth of equipment for a very long time and that with the challenges we have in terms of fire incidents all over the country, the last time I spoke I told you the government is making every effort to make sure that the fire service is revamped so that we have the necessary euipment, training and personnel to be able to face the challenges.
“Today as part of it FEC approved what is remaining of the 2016 budget, the procurement of 15 water tankers that have the capacity to be used as fighting trucks. This is costing the government N403 million out of the budget that was appropriated in 2016.
‘The totsl budget is about 5.5 billion naira for the procurement of firefighting equipment and we have already procured a lot from that.” he said
The Minister of Finance, on her part, said that the Council approved the ratification for the establishment of the West African Tax Administration forum which is a platform to promote mutual agreement and cooperation among West African tax authorities.
While disclosing that Nigeria is the host of the body, she said that Nigeria has already rectified the project.
She said “The effect of it is that there will be better information sharing and cooperation between countries within West Africa on tax administration. This is really part of our tax reform efforts.
“As you know Nigerians own properties in Ghana and other neigbouring countries, now for tax purposes they will be able to have access to that type of information.
“Linked to that is the directive of the FEC to the SGF to remind companies that there is an existing provision in the law that companies are supposed to have on their letter headed papers the names of their directors and their registered offices but what we have seen is that many bodies that are transacting business with government simply have the names of the company and no details of who the directors are.
“So for tax purposes it is quite difficult to trace them, so the SGF will be issuing a circular reminding agencies and ministries of government that it is the law and therefore they are at liberty not to treat any document that doesn’t comply with the law.
“And equally the Accountant General is being advised that payment will only be effected to companies that are fully in compliance with the law just to make sure that all those who are doing business with government and making from government are paying the right taxes.
“The other memo was the 500 million Eurobond, remember that the National Assembly had approved and council was also required to approve and that was done,” she stated.
…Approves draft bill for CDC
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the establishment of the Nigeria Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council towards boosting industrialization in the country.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was accompanied by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and the Minister of Health Isaac Adewole.
According to him, the new council will engage the private sector to develop a viable policy for the nation’s industrial sector.
He said that the industrial council will be chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and will have two vice presidents from both the government and the private sector, while membership will be drawn from private sector and relevant ministries.
The Health Minister disclosed that the Council approved Draft Bill for National Centre for Disease Control.
Adewole said that Council approved draft bill to give legal backing for the establishment of the National Centre for Disease Control.
He said that a legal backing will now be given to the agency to have its own board, recruit it’s personnel and a CEO appointed.
He said there is a budget line for National Center for Disease Control already, adding that the federal government is not going to incur any additional expenses.
Apart from being operational since 2012, he said that it has been instrumental in combating the deadly Ebola virus and Lassa fever.
The agenda, he said, is to strengthen the public health intervention to ensure proactiveness against future epidemic.
He said, “To move the agenda of public health intervention forward, what is known internationally is that they will always be another epidemic or another disease outbreak but what we do not know is when and where it will happen. What we need to do is to get ourselves prepared for the next epidemic.
“The National Council of Health in its meeting in Lagos in 2007, took a decision to establish a Nigerian center for disease control. The center became operational in 2012 and actually constituted a major force in combating Ebola and has been very operational in handling lessa fever in different parts of the country. So what we have done today is to provide legal framework for this agency so that it can validly perform the role that is expected of such role that is expected of such frontline agency. It is patterned after the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention which was established in 1946. The whole concept is not new what is new is that we decided to move ahead with it in Nigeria.
“There is also a European Centre for Disease Control established in 2004 and in 2013 following a resolution in Abuja, African Union also decided to establish a center for disease control.
“Our center for disease control is a frontline agency that has been recognised internationally, it has been designated as the regional center for disease control in West Africa, it has also been designated as the regional center for the African center for disease and prevention.
“So with this approval we can then move on working with National Assembly to put in place the necessary legislative action so that it can formally become an Act of Parliament.” he said
Stressing that the agency has not been operating illegally, he said: “It can be liken to a baby you have been carrying on your back and after sometimes you say this baby is big enough to walk and you say walk I will hold you by the hand. So, under the new dispensation we will give a legal framework to the establishment of the board for the agency, defined recruitment, how the director or the CEO of the agency will be appointed.
“These are things that have now been formalized. It has a budget line and so it’s actually not going incur any additional expenses. There is a budget line for National Center for Disease Control already,” he said.
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, on Wednesday, said that the current recession in the country will end before this year runs out.
According to him, the yet to be passed 2017 Budget has been structured to achieve the goal.
He spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
He said: “Yes, we are determined to get the economy out of the recession before the end of this year. And the 2017 budget is structured to do just that.
“So that is why we are anxious to get the budget passed so that we can begin the implementation and begin to take all the steps we need to get the economy out of recession,” he said
He also disclosed that his ministry briefed the Council on the recently released National Bureau of Statistics Third Quarter GDP Report and the full report on 2016.
He added: “I also informed the council of the released of the Economic recovery Growth Plan which is already on the website of the ministry of budget and national planning as well as the budget office.
“We look forward to the early passage of the 2017 budget so that we can fast-track the implementation of the plan. As you know the plan fed into the 2017 budget. So many of the initiatives in the plan are reflected in the budget.
“With regards to the NBS report, as you are aware the fourth quarter of the economy contracted by 1.3 per cent which is lower level of contraction than the previous year and which indicates that we are already turning and we are beginning to recover even though we are still in recession.
“And the overall result was better than what many people projected. The IMF report had thought the GDP for 2016 was going to be -1.8 per cent and it turned out -1.5, so that’s better than expected but we are not out of the woods.
“It is encouraging but we have to do and continue to do more to make sure that we get the economy out of the recession this year.
“So we are encouraged but we are even more energised to put in more effort in agriculture which is doing very well to do even better. To put in more efforts in solid minerals to make sure that our infrastructure is revamped because that is what will stimulate our economy if we continue in this way.
“You saw yesterday (on Tuesday) the acting president went to break grounds for the railway from Lagos to Ibadan all the way to Kano. As you know, the economic recovery and growth plan focuses on three objectives, one, is restoring growth and that is what we are determined to do.
“Two, inviting in our people, our people are our greatest resource and three, building a competitive economy because ultimately the economy cannot do well unless it is competitive.
“And as you know the five priorities areas that we have are:
“So we are determined, with this plan, to get this economy great again. We are determined that by the end of the plan to move from the negative growth that we experienced in 2016 to the growth rate of 7 percent by 2020,” he assured.